McCarthy, Breda, Eagle, Lynne, Osmond, Amy, and Low, David (2019) Social marketing and residential electricity consumption: every kilowatt matters. In: Eweje, Gabriel, and Bathurst, Ralph J., (eds.) Clean, Green and Responsible? Soundings from Down Under. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics and Governance . Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 107-132.

PDF (Published Version) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

This book chapter explores consumers’ attitudes towards climate change and energy resources along with their electricity consumption practices in the home. The discussion is situated within the wider context of sustainability. The research is important, because firstly, research into the electricity consumption practices of Australian households is surprisingly sparse, albeit growing (Moloney, Horne, and Fien, Energy Policy 38(12):7614–7623, 2010; Mullaly, Energy Policy, 26(14):1041–1052, 1998; Sommerfeld, Buys, and Vine, Energy Policy 105:10–16, 2017). Secondly, it is essential to gain a better insight into the ‘attitudes-behaviour’ gap which can underpin effective and targeted social marketing campaigns, and finally, promoting energy-efficient behaviours may play a role in climate change mitigation efforts. Findings are based on a consumer survey of 325 respondents in a regional city. The research shows that survey participants attach importance to minimizing electricity usage in the home and the adoption of roof-top solar systems is related to age, education, political affiliation and home ownership. The study shows that there is a divergence in attitudes towards the use of fossil fuels as a source of electricity generation, however patterns of electricity consumption in the home are quite similar across the sample. Recommendations therefore focus on behavioural modifications to reduce electricity use during peak demand and encourage the installation of electricity-saving devices in the home.

Item ID:	59099
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-3-030-21435-7
Keywords:	electricity consumption, sustainability
Funders:	James Cook University (JCU)
Projects and Grants:	JCU College of Business, Law & Governance
Date Deposited:	07 Aug 2019 02:18
FoR Codes:	35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3506 Marketing > 350612 Social marketing @ 100%
SEO Codes:	97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970115 Expanding Knowledge in Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services @ 100%
Downloads:	Total: 3
	More Statistics